Grace Slick’s mistake streams 780 million times
Grace Slick was the Acid Queen, a force whose voice could ignite a room or haunt an empty house. Her life was a whirlwind of reckless magic, yet amidst the chaos, she managed to distill her experience down to just two lingering regrets: screwing Jimi Hendrix and riding a horse.
If she could magically undo those two mistakes, the world would be significantly calmer. However, her greatest musical blunder proved far more stubborn to erase, especially considering that her most commercially successful song has defied time and continues to captivate audiences.
The irony is that the biggest hit Slick ever achieved turned out to be one she famously described as “the worst song ever.” This realization sits awkwardly alongside her wild history, making the journey to the creation of “We Built This City” a fascinating study in artistic collision.
The origin story of the track involves a moment of dramatic frustration. Prior to the 1985 release, Slick was fed up with her position in the band. During a show in Germany, she sought a moment of theatrical revenge, reportedly donning a Nazi uniform and throwing a “get back at you for the Second World War routine.” While this act secured her dismissal, it was not the defining regret of her life.
Yet, even after being fired, Slick’s musical instincts remained sharp. When she encountered “We Built This City,” she immediately recognized its commercial appeal, though she admitted that she had to record it to try and make amends to the band, whose fortunes had suffered in her absence.
The subsequent irony deepened. Slick, who had enjoyed a period of sobriety throughout the 1980s, later regretted that sobriety—because it led her to stare at a reflection of what the great Jefferson Airplane had become. She saw the shadow of commercialism creeping into the music scene.
It was in this context that the song’s impact became undeniable. Slick felt the lyrics were ridiculous, arguing that there was no city built on rock ‘n’ roll, pointing out that Los Angeles was founded on oil and the movie business. But the song, masterfully crafted by lyricist Bernie Taupin, proved to be a global phenomenon, perfectly capturing the glitz and glam of showbiz with a layer of joyful, ironic commentary.
While critics often dismissed the track as kitsch and soupy, the sheer catchiness of the song won out. It became an anthem for the American Dream, ironically celebrating a city built on capitalism, even as rock stars and lyricists navigated the complex landscape of the decade.
Today, “We Built This City” continues its journey, now boasting a staggering 780 million streams, proving that sometimes, the most potent artistic statements are those that manage to become timeless.
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